Outlaw Star: Distant Star Era

The Universe is much bigger and far stranger than originally thought...

Episode 18 -

9

JUL/17

OBJECTIVES:

<input name=“Deliver the strain of BLOAT to &quot;public&quot; George.” /> Deliver the strain of BLOAT to "public" George.
<input /> Figure out what to do with Izzy.
<input /> Attempt to track down Tepitzin, the Shallot abomination.

The battle is won. Brynhold Swiitner loots three scorched Caster shells from the body of Johnny White.

Kokotl and Patch have a brief exchange about the merits and necessity of hunting the Tepitzin.

"Do you smell what Turock is cooking?"
"Turock is a fine hunter, but I see no reason why-"

Kokotl convinces Patch that it'd be more prudent to return the BLOAT vial to the Fourth Archeopteran Shill's Front.

After ​​​​​​Faj Smash-Smash has hog-tied the shiltolvian scientist Izzy, Sharna Marsh-Marsh takes him away and properly ties the scientist before returning it to Faj, causing the bewildered behemoth to believe he's been subjected to a marriage proposal. After some miscommunication and lots of hurt feelings, Faj throws down the bound and bloodied Izzy and runs off down the tunnel, inadvertently running after the abomination. Koko challenges Patch to pursue both Faj and the abomination, causing Patch to sprint off ahead in a hunting frenzy. Kokotl picks up the bound and gagged scientist and hoists it over its shoulders, hurrying behind. Swiitner and DICC hang back, encouraging the One to take the initiative on this chase. Sharna is chasing Faj to try and calm him down.

Patch finds a break in the trail and stops to smell the road. Faj has run to the left, going to cry; the abomination has run to the right. Patch chases after the abomination; Sharna goes after Faj. The One relays her instructions to Brynhold and Monster/DICC.

"Follow the tail juice." – The One

Koko slices off Izzy's tail – it's probably fine – and uses the blood from the tail to distinguish between the two paths, using crude stick figures.

Meanwhile, Sharna and Faj are having a heart-to-heart. Faj is curled into a ball, sobbing hysterically.

"I thought we had something special!"
"Maybe one day! A long, long, long, LONG day away…in the future."

Sharna offers to help Faj find an ideal mate, while also persuading him to continue protecting Kokotl and serve as his meat shield. Sharna will even write him a letter of recommendation! Faj believes that he has now been hired on as part of the crew: now he thinks Kokotl needs to pay him.

"Let us run, yes?" -Faj Smash-Smash

One arrives just in time to witness the Tepitzin absolutely brutalize Patch, having thrown him in a wall. When Kokotl attempts to negotiate with the Tepitizin, it notices that Koko's carrying its "father" — and proceeds to brutalize Kokotl [2 wounds] as well. Swiitner, impressed with the strength of the creature, applauds it and asks what it wants. Tepitizin develops a huge crush on Brynhold Sweetner, because of course it does.

"I want to be left alone…why do you hunt me!?" – Tepitizin

One takes advantage of its distraction to jab it with her Stun Injector, throwing the Tepitizin off its game.

"Oh, you all came into the same hole."
"We sure did."

Faj and Sharna arrive to the mayhem. Faj goes over to check on/harass Kokotl. Swiitner attempts to use its stun gun on Tepitizin and manages to knock it down. Sharna attempts to punch it in the face, but its tiny arm catches her fist. Tepitizin flings Sharna into Swiitner, inflicting a wound on Sharna and knocking out Swiitner entirely. The One lands a slicing blow on the Tepitizin, inflicting a sizable wound on it, and Sharna tackles it with her energy claws, but the thing JUSTWON'T GO DOWN.

Koko manages to stabilize Izzy, causing the Tepitizin to stop attacking everyone and calm down. Somehow, Kokotl convinces the Tepitizin – "Tiny" – to carry all of their unconscious comrades back to the surface.

En route to the surface, Sharna Marsh-Marsh and Faj Smash-Smash are exposed to the Bloat. They'll probably be fine, but right now they're very sleepy.

Benny and the rest of the Fourth Archaeopteran Shill's Front are suprised and horrified, but Kokotl explains the situation to the bewildered revolutionaries as the Ctarl-Ctarls are put in isolation. Sharna is able to resist the urge to scratch and spread the infection; Faj is not.

One of the FASF's doctors explains that the Ctarl-Ctarl will probably be fine, because they have the sample, right?

Meanwhile, back on the ship, Altuunius is enjoying a nice cup of Space Coffee, waiting for George's contact Boxter to arrive. He does, but he looks anxious. Altuunius reads his mind to learn out that he's actually Skabis, a mercenary for higher. Though Altuunius tries to emotionally overload him and then shoot him, Skabis is able to get one over on her and